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Look of the Week: Coco Gauff’s new Australian Open kit is giving fans ‘Serena vibes’

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Even the American was fooled when a fake quote about her New Balance outfit went viral—but the bold spin on a heritage look is all Coco.

Reigning US Open champion Coco Gauff is ready for impact in Melbourne, after unveiling her new kit for the upcoming Australian Open gave tennis fans plenty to talk about.

Coco Gauff comes from behind to defend Auckland title | beIN SPORTS

New Balance designed a bold look to follow up the neon tennis-ball-inspired look Gauff wore in New York on the way to the title. “Primary Power” is the newest colorway of her signature Coco CG1 shoe—as the name implies, it takes inspiration from colors like blue and yellow with pops of red against a classic white background.

“The nostalgic use of primary colors and contrast trims holds the designs authentic to the spirit of tennis with a modern twist, specific to Coco,” said Jane Park, New Balance apparel designer, in an interview with *Forbes*.

“We wanted to energize her with a confident look on court for her to look and feel great.”

The new Coco CG1 colorway "Primary Colors" features—you guessed it—pops of yellow, red and blue.
The new Coco CG1 colorway “Primary Colors” features—you guessed it—pops of yellow, red and blue.

New Balance also unveiled two coordinating on-court looks to match the new CG1 colorway featuring her familiar crop top and skort combo: one in yellow with a pop of blue along the hem, and a reversed colorway in blue with a yellow contrast.

The skirt also features exposed elastic and mesh inserts at the waistline that create a criss-cross pattern and exaggerate the look of the curved crop top—a youthful touch that’s all Coco, according to New Balance designers.

Gauff's matching on-court outfit comes in two colorways.
Gauff’s matching on-court outfit comes in two colorways.

But online, tennis fans were reminded more of a different look altogether: Serena Williams’ 2016 Australian Open outfit by Nike. The American also rocked a yellow crop top and skirt with contrasting hems during her run to the final in Melbourne, where she lost to Angelique Kerber.

Soon there were memes galore on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, with one in particular featuring a tongue-in-cheek fictional quote that fooled even Gauff herself:

“With this kit, I definitely wanted to channel my inner Serena,” wrote user Cas (@AO_SW19), along with a side-by-side comparison of the outfits. “She is an inspiration on and off the court so this one is for her… it even has the lil crop top she had [giggles].”

Even though the user’s bio warns fans “don’t take anything seriously”, the tweet had already racked up thousands of interactions and had been widely shared before Gauff saw it.

“You had me fooled 😭 I even sent the tweet to my agent and I was like ‘I don’t remember ever saying this?’” Gauff told her followers.

“Nothing wrong with it, (y’all) know I love Serena (but) it wasn’t inspired by her kit,” Gauff added. “She is a fashion queen (though)!! I just literally thought I was going crazy for two mins hahaha 😂”

As New Balance continues to strengthen its ties to tennis, the Boston-based sportswear giant recently became the official performance apparel and footwear sponsor of the Australian Open, which kicks off on Sunday, January 15. Gauff will be the No. 3 seed as she seeks her second Grand Slam title.

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TENNIS

2024 Australian Open women’s singles seeds: Iga Swiatek leads way as Elena Rybakina pips Coco Gauff

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Iga Swiatek will be the No 1 seed at a Grand Slam for the eighth consecutive time as the world No 1 has received top billing for the 2024 Australian Open.

Four-time Grand Slam winner Swiatek has been top seed at every single major since the 2022 French Open with the now retired Ashleigh Barty the last player other than the Pole to achieve the top seed status as she was No 1 for the 2022 Australian Open.

A happy Iga Swiatek

Organizers of the Australian Open use the official WTA Rankings to determine the seeds and Swiatek tops the list ahead of defending champion Aryna Sabalenka. It means the top two won’t face each other before the final, but they could potentially face either Elena Rybakina or Coco Gauff in the semi-final.

Last year’s runner-up Rybakina is seeded third as she replaced reigning US Open champion Gauff at No 3 in the WTA Rankings on Monday on the back of her title run at the Brisbane International.

Gauff retained her Auckland Classic trophy last week, but the New Zealand event was a WTA 250 tournament while Rybakina’s title run was worth 500 points.

The top four are followed by Jessica Pegula, Ons Jabeur, Marketa Vondrousova, Maria Sakkari, Barbora Krejcikova and Beatriz Haddad Maia.

MATCH REPORT | 2024 United Cup: Iga SWIATEK continues incredible form, brushes aside former World No.1 Angelique KERBER | Tennisuptodate.com

Last year’s French Open finalist Karolina Muchova was due to be the No 9 seed, but she is missing due to injury.

Meanwhile, two players in the top 20 – two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova and reigning Olympic champion Belinda Bencic – will also miss the tournament as they are pregnant while world No 18 Madison Keys is out injured.

As a result, Chinese duo Zhu Lin and Wang Xinyu as well as Marie Bouzkova from the Czech Republic and Canadian Leylah Fernandez have received a boost as they are among the top 32 seeds despite being ranked lower.

French Open champion Iga Swiatek wins twice in a day to set up Rome final with Karolina Pliskova | Tennis News | Sky Sports

2024 Australian Open women’s seeds:
1. Iga Swiatek Poland
2. Aryna Sabalenka –
3. Elena Rybakina Kazkhstan
4. Coco Gauff United States
5. Jessica Pegula United States
6. Ons Jabeur Tunisia
7. Marketa Vondrousova Czech Republic
8. Maria Sakkari Greece
9. Barbora Krejcikova Czech Republic
10. Beatriz Haddad Maia Brazil
11. Jelena Ostapenko Latvia
12. Zheng Qinwen China
13. Liudmila Samsonova
14. Daria Kasatkina
15. Veronika Kudermetova
16. Caroline Garcia France
17. Ekaterina Alexandrova
18. Victoria Azarenka
19. Elina Svitolina Ukraine
20. Magda Linette Poland
21. Donna Vekic Croatia
22. Sorana Cirstea Romania
23. Anastasia Potapova
24. Anhelina Kalinina Ukraine
25. Elise Mertens Belgium
26. Jasmine Paolini Italy
27. Emma Navarro United States
28. Lesia Tsurenko Ukraine
29. Zhu Lin China
30. Wang Xinyu China
31. Marie Bouzkova Czech Republic
32. Leylah Fernandez Canada

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“Had me fooled, I even sent the tweet to my agent”: Coco Gauff hilariously debunks false claim of Serena Williams inspiring her Australian Open outfit

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Coco Gauff hilariously confessed to being duped by a fabricated quote falsely attributed to her while clearing the air on whether her 2024 Australian Open outfit was inspired by Serena Williams.

With the Australian Open set to commence on Sunday, January 14, images of Gauff’s outfit for the Melbourne Slam began circulating on social media. The American is set to wear two ensembles from the New Balance x Australian Open collection. The first features a yellow top and skirt, outlined in navy, while the second reverses the colors – a navy top and skirt with yellow accents.

With the 19-year-old’s kit generating considerable excitement on social media, one fan used the opportunity to playfully dupe tennis fans into believing that the outfit was inspired by Serena Williams.

The fan posted a picture of Williams in a kit with a similar color scheme and shared a quote falsely attributed to Gauff, expressing her desire to channel her “inner Serena” with the attire.

“With this kit, I definitely wanted to channel my inner Serena. She is an inspiration on and off the court so this one is for her… it even has the lil crop top she had,” the fan posted on X.

https://x.com/AO_SW19/status/1744163285119766775?s=20

With several users being duped by the fan’s post, the fan eventually admitted their disbelief that so many people bought into their claim.

Coco Gauff commented on the fan’s post and hilariously revealed that she, too, was “fooled” by the post. She divulged that she had even passed it along to her agent, as she had no recollection of ever making such a statement.

The 19-year-old clarified that her Australian Open outfit wasn’t inspired by Serena Williams. However, she expressed her love for the 23-time Grand Slam champion and hailed her as a “fashion queen.”

“You had me fooled. I even sent the tweet to my agent, and I was like “I don’t remember ever saying this?” nothing wrong with it ya’ll know I love Serena it wasn’t inspired by her kit. She is a fashion queen tho!! I just literally thought I was going crazy for two mins hahaha,” Coco Gauff commented.

https://x.com/CocoGauff/status/1744442864875225228?s=20

“Coco Gauff talks about it all the time” – Jill Craybas on how ‘idols’ Venus and Serena Williams influenced the US Open champion

On a recent episode of the ATP Tennis Radio Podcast, Jill Craybas emphasized the profound impact that Coco Gauff’s “idols” Venus and Serena Williams had on her.

Coco Gauff

She attributed the 19-year-old expressive nature to the positive influence of the Williams sisters.

“I mean, Coco Gauff talks about it all the time, how much of idols they (Venus and Serena Williams) were to her, and look at her now, like she has been able to let herself shine and be open,” Craybas said (at 24:33).

Craybas further pointed out that, despite her young age, Gauff had embraced the role of inspiring the next generation, following in the footsteps of the Williams sisters.

“And she’s so well spoken. Now she’s at such a young age, having that impact on the younger generation that is coming up now, and she’s still very young herself,” she added.

Coco Gauff kicked off her 2024 season with a successful title defense at the ASB Classic, triumphing over Elina Svitolina in the final. She will be back in action at the Australian Open, where she will commence her quest for her second Grand Slam title.

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Coco Gauff: US Open champion cruises into ASB Classic semi-finals after east win over Varvara Gracheva

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Coco Gauff has progressed to the semi-finals of the ASB Classic after beating France’s Varvara Gracheva in straight sets. The 19-year-old American produced a complete performance against her error-prone opponent, slamming down five aces and hitting 13 winners as she went on to book her place in the last four. “I thought I served really well,” Gauff said after her third win of the year.

Coco Gauff cruised into the semi-finals of the ASB Classic with a 6-1 6-1 win over Varvara Gracheva in Auckland on Friday.
The reigning US Open champion has now won her last eight matches in Auckland and not dropped a set in that time. She will play No. 4 seed Emma Navarro in the semi-finals on Saturday.
Gauff, who is defending her title in New Zealand, needed just 53 minutes to dispatch her opponent, Gracheva, after a rain-delayed start to the match.

Gauff raced to a 3-0 lead before Gracheva held her serve for the first time, but the American took the opening set in 33 minutes as her first serve, combined with her power and precision from the baseline, proved too much for the Frenchwoman.

The second set followed a similar pattern as Gauff built up a 4-0 lead. Gracheva’s unforced error count continued to rise while Gauff was clinical on break points, converting five of seven.
The world No. 3 sealed her place in the semi-finals by converting her third match point.

“I thought I served really well,” Gauff, who won 21 of 29 points on her first serve, said afterwards.
“Probably the best so far in the tournament, which is something I’ve been working on off-season. I’m really happy with how I played.
“I’m glad I was able to finish my match [before more rain].”

China’s Xiyu Wang is through to the semi-finals after a 7-6(3) 3-6 6-4 win over Diane Perry.
Wang won the last five games in a row to come back and beat Perry and extend her head-to-head record to 2-0 over the Frenchwoman.
The world No. 71 will play Elina Svitolina next after the Ukrainian beat Marie Bouzkova 6-0 6-3 in just one hour and six minutes.

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MATCH REPORT | 2024 ASB CLASSIC: COCO GAUFF AUTHORATIVE WIN AGAINST VARVARA GRACHEVA TO REACH SEMIFINAL

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Coco Gauff secured her third consecutive victory, advancing to the ASB Classic semifinals after defeating 8th seed Varvara Gracheva (No. 42) with a score of 6-1, 6-1. The American once again progressed without dropping a set, remaining on track for the Auckland title defense.

World No. 3 arrived after comfortable victories over Claire Liu (6-4, 6-2) and Brenda Fruhvirtova (6-3, 6-0). On Gracheva’s side, she fought in the first round to overcome Tereza Martincova (6-7, 7-5, 6-2) and Lulu Radovcic (6-3, 6-4) in her debut at the ASB Classic. Having conceded just 11 games in three matches, Gauff will face compatriot Emma Navarro (No. 31) in the semifinals.

https://x.com/WTA/status/1742725328173166858?s=20

Coco Gauf shines
In the first set, Gauff claimed an early break after six minutes, quickly taking a comfortable 3-0 lead with her serve. While Gracheva managed to hold her serve, Gauff won three consecutive games, securing the first set 6-1 in just 25 minutes. The 2023 US Open champion had a 71% first serve, winning 71% of service points and 56% on returns. Gauff capitalized on crucial moments in the set, converting the only two break opportunities created.

The second set posed minimal challenges for Coco as she secured two consecutive breaks, both on her first opportunities, taking a 4-0 lead. Although Gracheva defended her serve for the first time in the set, Gauff dominated with her serve and secured another break in the most contested game of the match, closing the score 6-1, 6-1.

The match concluded in just 53 minutes, with Gauff winning 64% of the points and not conceding any break opportunities to the French player. The 19-year-old youngster secured her third consecutive victory, showcasing her readiness for the upcoming Australian Open, where she will be the third seed in the tournament.

In the semifinals, Gauff will face 4th seed Emma Navarro (No. 31), a 22-year-old American who has had a remarkable campaign in Auckland, on the verge of entering the top-30 for the first time in her career. Navarro defeated 7th seed Petra Martic (No. 40) 6-4, 6-3 in the previous round.

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“I want to strive for more and I don’t want to only win one”: Grand slam hunger drives Coco Gauff as 2024 begins

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Coco Gauff shared her aspirations for the 2024 season and emphasized that she won’t settle for winning just one Grand Slam throughout her career. A remarkable streak at the end of 2023 earned her three titles: her first WTA 500 (Washington), first WTA 1000 (Cincinnati Open), and her maiden Grand Slam (US Open) within just six weeks.

At 19 years old, much is still expected from the world No. 3, who will kick off her season at the ASB Classic on January 1st as the top seed, facing her compatriot Claire Liu (world No. 98) in the opening match. Upon her arrival in Auckland, she reflected on her impressive finish in 2023 and her first Grand Slam: “I felt like I had a clock and I needed to win as a teenager,” said Coco Gauff.

The young American swiftly made a name for herself on the WTA Tour after defeating the 5-times Wimbledon champion Venus Williams in the first round of Wimbledon in 2019 at just 15 years old. Since then, the spotlight has been on Gauff, and she finally secured the coveted Grand Slam at Flushing Meadows: “Just for how I started, with Wimbledon and everything, I felt like I just needed to.”

Rise and ambitions of Coco Gauff
“Not with anyone’s expectations from my team, but fans and people who watch the game.” She also recalled the US Open final against Aryna Sabalenka, who was guaranteed to be the world No. 1 at the end of the tournament: “That feeling I felt on match point was a high, and I want to continue to chase that high,” said Gauff.

The moment that changed Gauff at the end of the season was Wimbledon, as she mentioned when, as the 7th seed, she couldn’t surpass the first round, falling to the former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin: “After Wimbledon, I reached the lowest point of my career, losing that match,” Gauff said.

“Learning from it helped me push forward and I think sometimes you need those setbacks to push you forward,” she added. “Not to wake me up, because I felt like I always was awake, but realize that maybe you should put less pressure on every single match,” Coco Gauff concluded.

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Coco Gauff’s next match: Opponent, venue, live streaming, TV channel, and schedule | ASB Classic 2024, R1

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Coco Gauff will begin her title defense at the 2024 ASB Classic in Auckland against Claire Liu.

The American youngster enjoyed a career-best season in 2023. She finally claimed her maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open with a win over Aryna Sabalenka in the final.

2023 French Open - Day Seven
Coco Gauff will take take on Claire Liu in the first round of the 2024 ASB Classic

Gauff also won titles in Washington and Cincinnati, as well as here in Auckland. She also reached the semifinals of the WTA Finals and finished the season ranked third in singles and doubles.

Gauff’s partnership with Jessica Pegula continued to blossom as the two won titles in Doha and Miami. They also finished as the runner-ups in Madrid and Rome, and made it to the semifinals of the Australian Open and the French Open.

Gauff won the title in Auckland without dropping a set in 2023. She has been given a rather easy draw, with most of the big names, including Elina Svitolina, Caroline Wozniacki and Emma Raducanu, being on the opposite half of the draw.

Given Gauff’s form and the draw, she’s expected to make another deep run here. With that, here’s a look at the details regarding her upcoming match:

Who is Coco Gauff playing against?

Claire Liu at the 2023 French Open.
Claire Liu at the 2023 French Open.

Fellow American Claire Liu will be Gauff’s very first opponent of the new season. The 23-year old California native endured a tough 2023 season and accumulated more losses than wins.

A third round finish at the Miami Open, followed by second round appearances at the Australian Open and the French Open were Liu’s best results at big events. Other than that, a semifinal at the Budapest Grand Prix was the furthest she went in a tournament.

Coco Gauff vs Claire Liu match schedule

The first round contest between Coco Gauff and Claire Liu will take place either on Monday or Tuesday. The exact date and time will be known once the order of play is revealed.

Date: January 1/2, 2024.

Time: TBA.

Coco Gauff vs Claire Liu streaming details
Viewers from the following countries can catch the action live on their respective channels and sites:

Tennis Channel: USA, Germany, Austria, Swizterland & Puerto Rico

Sky Sports: UK

Canal+: Poland

Super Tennis: Italy

ESPN – Central & South America

DAZN – Japan

Nova Sports – Greece & Cyprus

O2 TV – Czech Republic

Telenet – Belgium

TV2 – Denmark

Sportsmax– Caribbean

Live streaming will also be available on WTA TV.

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Coco Gauff potential was obvious very early on says top coach

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Patrick Mouratoglou has revealed that Coco Gauff left a big impression on him during their first meeting.

Gauff was just ten years old at the time, but Mouratoglou said that he felt like she was destined for greatness.

Coco Gauff US Open

Her drive to succeed was already evident, and Mouratoglou said that she is a rare talent.

“I felt that she was someone so driven, so much confidence in her ability, and that wanted it so much that I felt she had the complete package to reach the top of the game,” Mouratoglou told CNN.

“When she left the office, I told the guys: ‘This one, we take her with us and she can be great’.”

He was stunned by Gauff’s willingness to keep going on the court when other young players faltered.

“The fitness test was incredible for her age,” Mouratoglou added.

“Her competitiveness when it came to playing matches against other players was impressive. She was able to beat players that were technically better than her because of her competitiveness.”

It wasn’t too long until the rest of the tennis world got in on the secret when it came to Gauff.

“Coco has been making history since she was a kid, literally,” said Mouratoglou. “At 13 and a half years old, she was in the finals of the US Open in juniors. At 14, she was winning Roland Garros in juniors.”

He feels that Gauff has been able to cope with the pressure of expectations and is set to be a big force in the game.

“She has learned to deal with [the pressure] at a young age, and that explains partly her ability to win her first grand slam final at only 19 years old,” said Mouratoglou.

“She can still improve so much – which is a good thing, by the way – in many aspects of her game, but I think with her drive, her team, her motivation and her abilities, she definitely can win a few [more majors],” added Mouratoglou.

“Americans say, ‘Sky’s the limit.’ I don’t see any limit and I would not give her any limits.”

Mouratoglou believes that Serena Williams, whom he has coached, and her sister Venus have launched many careers including Gauff’s.

“I think the Williams sisters have inspired a lot of African Americans and Black people in general,” the coach said.

“Before them, very few people of color have been at the top of the game in that sport.

“You feel it’s not a place for you because you don’t see any people that look like you there. And I think Venus and Serena really opened a big gate for people of color in that sport, and that’s amazing.

“When you see someone that looks like you, who is winning grand slams, making history, and there are two of them, you think, ‘maybe it’s possible for me, too.’

“And that’s the inspiration.”

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Coco Gauff enjoys herself on holiday before defending WTA title in New Zealand

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Christmas is officially over, and for those who celebrate the holiday, it was hopefully, full of fun. Tennis star Coco Gauff made sure that she enjoyed herself before getting back on the court in New Zealand and Australia. On Christmas Eve, she attended a Dolphins game at Hard Rock Stadium with her supportive family. The tennis professional shared a gallery of photos and videos of the experience, which looked epic.

2023 ASB Women's Classic: Day 7

“Christmas Eve + dolphins W = a good ole jolly time” she captioned the gallery. In the mix of memories were adorable selfies and videos with her parents and siblings as they watched the game on the field. The 19-year-old happily smiled with her two younger brothers, Cody and Cameron.

After the game, Gauff, who recently visited Disney World, went straight to her suitcase and packed for a big trip to Australia and New Zealand. The athlete will be defending her ASB Classic and aims to take home the Australian Open title.

On Monday, the highest-paid female athlete of 2023, reposted a hilarious meme to her Instagram story apologizing to those she did not text on a Merry Christmas. “If I didn’t text you saying Merry Christmas we still gang I’m just lazy,” it said. Gauff wrote over the pic, “basically packed for 3-4 hours on Christmas day for this Australia/New Zealand trip. Love y’all lol just got lazy,” with a crying face emoji.

This will be the third time the teenager plays the classic in Auckland, New Zealand, and she will defend her 2023 title. The women’s classic will run January 1-7, followed by the men’s tournament from January 8-13

2023 ASB Women's Classic: Day 7
Coco Gauff holds the trophy at the ASB Classic Tennis Tournament

But it won’t be the only country she plays in because she will be participating in the 2024 Australian Open. Last year, she was eliminated from the singles draw in the fourth round after Jeļena Ostapenko beat her 7–5, 6–3.

This year, Gauff enters the tournaments as the game’s newest major champion after winning the U.S. Open for her first Grand Slam title. The fan favorite is ranked number three in the world in both singles and doubles and may find herself with another victory. The tournamen runs from Sun, Jan 14, 2024 – Sun, Jan 28, 2024.

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COCO GAUFF GETS PERSONAL IN NEW VIDEO: “I JUST FEEL LIKE PEOPLE ONLY SEE THE WORK ON THE COURT”

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In a recent candid video, tennis champion Coco Gauff gave the world a glimpse into her multifaceted life beyond the tennis court. The US Open champion opened up about her personal time and the many activities she loves outside of tennis- activities she doesn’t always share with the public.

Gauff’s heartfelt monologue emphasized the importance of prioritizing her mental health and staying present in the moment despite having a hectic schedule. The 19-year old underscored her vulnerability and commitment to mental well-being while coming across as an inspiration, reminding her fans and fellow athletes of the significance of taking time for oneself.

“Nothing is better for my game, then taking my mind off the game” – Coco Gauff

The video is part of campaign collab between Ray Ban and meta for its new smart sunglasses. Gauff shared it in both Instagram and TikTok with the caption: “Being fully present in my downtime lets me stay focused when its gametime. Thanks for helping me stay in the moment 💜🖤🙌🏾”

Some of the higlights included her revealing how she believes people saw her. “When I was young people used to think I lived and breathed tennis,” she says in a voice over. “I just feel like people see the work on court but don’t realize how many things I like to do off the court,” she said.

“I just don’t necessarily always share that stuff about myself. Some days I just like to sit in my hotel room and just do nothing.” – Coco Gauff –

She also talked about athletes in general and the relatability to the rest of us. “We’re people too,” she says. “I have two younger brothers, it feels like home when I’m with them.”

GNP Seguros WTA Finals Cancun

Coco Gauff’s family
Coco Gauff often speaks about the importance of her family, which has proved to be pivotal for her development as a person and a player. “I’m the oldest of three siblings. Maybe that has something to play with it. I don’t know. I feel like I have learned a lot quickly,” she said in a press conference at the Qatar Open.

Her parents are Corey and Candi and her brothers are Codey and Cameron. Codey is 14 years old and has an interest on many things, including baseball. Cameron is 9 years old and has a strong bond with his sister, helping her come up with some designs for her shoe line.

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